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How Not to Get Scammed in Morocco’s Souks

Sasha — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:28:17 +0000

Today’s guest post is from Nadia Latif the site editor of Gap Daemon a fantastic new social network and advice site for backpackers and gap year travellers.

The first time I visited Marrakech, aged eleven, my Dad took me to the souks to teach me how to haggle (he’s an Arab and well-practised; I am British-born and decidedly not).

Squirming with embarrassment, I attempted to knock down the price of a pair of beaded slippers while the stall owner grinned at me. My Dad, on the other hand, threw looks of deepest contempt at the stall owner, offered 20% of the asking price and was accused of trying to rob him blind. It culminated with an agreed price and an offer of mint tea – things went from hostile to hospitable in the space of ten minutes and the whole thing left me deeply confused.

Haggling – if you get good at it – is seriously good fun. Here’s my guide to shopping in the souks, and how to avoid getting scammed while you’re at it.

A Beginner’s Guide to Haggling

Rule number one: there are no price tags in Moroccan souks for good reason. People haggle until a price is agreed. If you see something you like, try to gauge how much you want to pay for it before you start haggling; it’ll help you keep things in perspective.

Ask how much it is and expect a vastly inflated answer in return. Knock it down by at least half (remember to smile: sounds patronising, but a friendly face goes a long way). Expect to be told “no way!” and – if you feel it’s worth it – increase your offer a little. If not, walk away. More often than not, you’ll be chased back and the whole process resumes again.

Mint Tea

I can’t stress enough how important mint tea is to souk culture. Expect to be invited to share a cup of strong, tooth-achingly-sweet tea with shopkeepers, especially if you’ve made a relatively big purchase. It’s rude to refuse and why would you want to? It’s a really nice way to sit back, relax, and chill with the locals.

Scams in the Souks

The Moroccan government is trying to crack down on the scamming of tourists, but souks are very hard to police; they are windy and tricky, with lots of dark corners and dead ends. You will spend (especially in Fez) a lot of your time wandering around completely lost. And this is when you are most vulnerable.

My top tips for avoiding getting scammed (and the things to look out for):

Young, teenage boys are a particular nuisance – many give misleading directions, follow you around until you are completely lost and then demand payment for the time they’ve spent ‘guiding’ you. I’ve fallen for this twice (twice! I was so annoyed with myself) in Marrakech – shopkeepers and/or older locals are a safer (though not always) bet.
Get directions to the riad/hostel you’re staying in before you arrive. Many will offer to meet you at a designated place – take them up on that offer, especially if you’re staying in Marrakech or Fes, where the souks are labyrinthine. I have personally experienced someone offering to take me to my riad, trying to grab my bag and leading me off to a guest-house that was not the one I asked directions for (it was his friend/boss and he got commission for every tourist he brought there).

The Golden Rule

Just say no and don’t feel rude – someone is bound try and scam you, but be patient, insistent and above all friendly. Don’t get visibly angry, don’t shout. If you are followed, calmly tell them you are not interested in a guide and won’t be paying them.

Exploring the souks of Morocco is an experience I’d recommend to anyone; I absolutely love them. And if I’m honest, I think by now I’d feel a little let down if someone didn’t try to scam me; it keeps me on my toes at least!

Creative Commons Photo Credits: Chetbox & Mar10o

World Experiences: Turkey

Sasha — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:13:46 +0000

I’ve always wanted to go to Turkey but sadly I’ve not yet had the pleasure in delighting in all its unique experiences to write World Experiences Turkey. So what did I do?… I enlisted the writing talents of Jack of Perking the Pansies an expat living in Turkey to share what he believes are the ‘must have’ experiences to really get to the heart of Turkey and it’s culture.

You haven’t experienced Turkey until you have…

…Gazed up in awe at the Dome of Hagia Sofia.

Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul – imperial capital, city of two continents, home to over 13 million people and epicentre of Turkish cultural and economic life. At its ancient heart is the old city, Sultanahmet, where the majestic Hagia Sofia proclaims her seniority to the grand upstarts around her. The 1600 year dome seems to float effortlessly above the ancient marble floor like a painted UFO coming into land. Cathedral, mosque and museum, Justinian’s masterpiece is a part of the seductive silhouette of mosques and minarets that define the famous city skyline. Rest outside in the lovingly tended parks and listen to the call to prayer in thunderous surround sound.

…Waded through the icy waters of Saklikent Gorge.

This 18 km gorge in Lycian Turkey is hundreds of feet deep, transports vast quantities of crystal-clear snow melt from the Taurus Mountains every year and is virtually invisible until you get inside it. Traverse the wooden walkways to get to the mouth of the gorge, wade knee-deep through freezing open waters and ascend the 4kms that are walkable. Wear sensible shoes you don’t mind getting wet, be prepared for bruises as you will slip and don’t visit before April or you’ll likely drown. After your healthy exertion take tea in the ramshackle carpeted cafés that line the entrance.

…Tumbled over the glorious ruins of Arycanda.

Built on five terraces high above a fertile plain, Arycanda was a leading city of ancient Lycia. The ruins are impressive and largely intact as the abandoned city’s high isolation prevented the dressed stones from being plundered in later periods. Unlike more famous sites like Ephesus, Arycanda isn’t overrun by camera-toting tourists so a leisurely tumble is a fun diversion. The city’s position, precariously perched on the side of a verdant mountain provides a spectacular vista. Watch the sun set as it bathes the ruins in soft orange light.

…Sauntered along Bodrum’s celebrated promenade.

Old Bodrum Town is where the Turkish well-heeled come to get well-oiled. In the heat of the day people slowly amble along the promenade, gorge on gossip in the cafés, browse and graze in the posh shops or relax under cooling shade of a tall palm tree. By night the prom sizzles to the heavy beat of Turkopop and a madding crowd of the weird, the wonderful and the well-to-do.

…Dived off a Gulet and snorkeled in shimmering turquoise waters.

A gulet is a two-masted wooden sailing boat originating from the Aegean coast of Turkey. Take a leisurely cruise around isolated coves and drop anchor at various brushy islets for a dip in the gorgeous translucent waters of the warm Ege. Your cheery skipper will provide a simple but delicious lunch of fresh fish, meat balls or chicken accompanied by mezes, pasta and salad washed down with chilled and cheerful Anatolian vino. End the voyage lazing away the afternoon basking on the deck.

Imagine the absurdity of two openly gay, recently married middle aged, middle class men escaping the liberal sanctuary of anonymous London to relocate to a Muslim country. Jack chronicles their exploits with the mad, the sad, the bad and the glad in a blog for the whole world to ignore. Read about it on Perking the Pansies.

Are you an expat? Have you spent an extended period of time in one country? If that sounds like you I’d love your contribution to the world experiences series! If you have offbeat and authentic cultural experiences to share from a particular country contact me here.

Escaping to Hong Kong’s Wilderness

Sasha — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:15:40 +0000

Living in Shanghai a city with a population almost equal to the population of my entire home country of Australia has turned me into a self confessed city girl! But despite surfing the metro every day and spending a fair chunk of my time hanging out at the bar with my friends there’s one thing the city can’t knock out of this girl: The love of the wilderness. The high rises, the smoggy air and my claustrophobic life living in a small apartment had me yearning to get outside, smell the fresh aromatic smells of the trees, hear the trickling of a river, here the chatty chirp of wild birds hopping along the branches overhead, I was yearning for the wilderness! This is what Shanghai makes me crave! And then I got a lucky break, a forced visa run to Hong Kong. Who would have thought a short trip to get a new visa would lead me to escape into Hong Kong’s wilderness!

Most people know Hong Kong as a large cosmopolitan city famous for shopping, electronics, food and Kung Fu films but what I discovered during my multiple trips there was a completely contrasting side to that Hong Kong. What I discovered was Hong Kong’s untapped wilderness, its pure, natural beauty just a stones through away from the city on Hong Kongs outlying Islands and in the New Territories.

Lamma Island

This tiny island just 30 mins by ferry from downtown Hong Kong packs in a diverse range of landscapes from dry grasslands dotted with giant granite rocks with eagles circling threateningly overhead to dense, lush jungle with secret winding paths to hidden coves of golden sands. It’s easy to imagine you have the whole island to yourself with so many quite, hidden corners to discover. Exploring Lamma Island feels somewhat like exploring your own treasure island. It is only when you are again back on the main path and hear the chatter of school children and families that you are reminded that you in fact one of many who came to enjoy Lamma’s natural beauty.

The Trail: Lamma Island is a small island that can thoroughly be explored in a day. The main trail from Sok Kwu Wan to Yung Shue Wan can comfortably be done in under 3 hours however there are so many great little beaches and paths to discover along the way who’s in any hurry!

How to get there: Take the ferry from Central Pier 4 to either Yung Shue Wan or Sok Kwu Wan. The ferry ride takes around 30mins.

Eagles Nest Mountain (Tsim Shan)

Eagles Nest Mountain is the most unique hiking spot in all of Hong Kong for one very interesting reason, it’s the only place in Hong Kong home to wild monkeys. This park is home to families of Resesus Macaques and Long Tailed Macaques that were thought to have bred from domestic monkey’s that escaped into the wild. This county park near Sham Shui Po boasts stunning views over Kowloon and the New Territories surrounding cool, lush, green forests. This trail is great for botanists and ecologists with 23 stops dotted around the trail with informative signs providing information on the natural history of the area and the plant species that call the park home. What I loved about the park was that it’s relatively unknown amongst tourist with most hikers locals from the area. You can easily walk for an hour or more and not run into anyone but the friendly monkeys who are eager to come up and say hi and maybe steal your food (what ever you do don’t eat a chocolate bar in the monkey’s proximity!)

The Trail: To find the entrance of the trail follow Lung Ping Road to the end (1) and enter into the fenced off area, there is a guard box and security dogs but they won’t bother you. Head up the hill along the road until you reach the trail. The entire loop takes around 2 hours to complete.

How to get there: Take the MTR to Sham Shio Po station on the Tsuen Wan (red) line. From there catch a taxi telling the driver you want to go see the monkeys, you may have to mime ‘monkey’ with sound effects but they’ll get the idea! It’s about 15 minutes ride. You can walk there from the metro station but be warned it will take you approximately an hour and it’s incredibly easy to get lost as their are no signs leading the way and not so many people to ask directions!

Lantau Island

Lantau Island is Hong Kongs largest island and also one of the most well known places for hiking and camping. There are many great hikes to do on Lantau Islands one of the most popular being the steady uphill climb from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping the home of the Po Lin Monastery and the serene Giant Buddha. This strenuous hike will take you approximately 3-4 hours to complete winding over grassy terrain and treating you to some spectacular views over the island. Once you reach the top you can continue on down the other side of the island to the charming Tai O fishing village, one of Hong Kong’s remaining, old, traditional fishing villages that gives you a glimpse into what life in Hong Kong would have been like before it morphed into the large cosmopolitan city it is today. One of the more challenging hikes on the island that gives you a broad view of Lantau’s diverse range of scenery is the 70km Lantau Trail that goes from Tung Chung to Pui O. But if your not a marathon hiker up for doing 70km across a few days, not to worry the trail is broken up into 12 stages with good facilities and helpful information signposted along the way.

The Trail: There are numerous trails all over Lantau Island and each has something unique to offer. It’s as easy as pick a starting point somewhere around the island and following the well signposted trails. A great hike that gives you a glimpse of traditional village life, Hong Kong’s spirituality and stunning panoramic views over the island is to start from Tai O fishing village and hike via Ngong Ping on route to Tung Chung.

How to get there: You can take the MTR to Tung Chung station on the Tung Chung (orange) line if you’re planning on hiking from that point. You can also get buses from Tung Chung to other parts of the island. For a more scenic way to get to Lantau take the ferry from the Central terminal to one of the few wharfs around the island and from there catch a bus to your hiking starting point.

Accommodation Spotlight

When I travel to Hong Kong I always stay at Go Inn, Hong Kong Island. It’s got a fantastic location in Fortress Hill close to the metro only a few stops away from Central (…where you can catch a ferry to the outlying islands!) Oh and did I mention it’s cheap and not at all iffy! (unlike Chungking Mansions)

Jervis Bay: The Beach Destination I love

Sasha — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:47:24 +0000

As a child the most exciting family holidays were going to the beach. Living inland meant going to the beach was a novelty and an adventure. As a child any trip, any holiday, any travel was simply amazing, spectacular, fun, memorable, everything was an adventure. My favourite childhood beach holidays were always to Jervis bay I have so many cherished memories from imagining I was a mermaid while snorkeling for the very first time to running around the bush at the campsite with my brother imagining we were soldiers. It is these fond memories that made me love Jervis Bay so much.

As a child life is so simple, so straightforward. I didn’t understand the tourist gimmicks that put me off today. I couldn’t help but wonder if my return to Jervis Bay as an adult would be as amazing as I remembered it. Would I be bitterly disappointed when I got there?…Continue Reading on page 9 of the Magazine.

In Jervis Bay secluded beaches and coves and just a few curious steps away!

The Things I Love That You Should Do!

Take to the Sea and Spy a Dolphin

There are lots of great things to do on shore in Jervis Bay but there are are also a lot of things you can do in the water, the obvious being snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing. But there is one other thing that Jervis Bay is famous for, sea animals of the mammal variety, dolphins and whales. During the whale migration season of June to November people flock to Jervis Bay to see the Humpback Whales who set up temporary residence right in the bay. But all year round no matter the season there is a friendly pod of Dolphins that will have you piling onto the cruise boat to chase them around the bay.

Drive Around!

Jervis Bay is not exactly a travel friendly destination, all the great spots are quite far apart and public transport is, well pretty much non-existent. So what should you do? Hire a car or even better hire a campervan! Not only is it convenient to get around the area but it also doubles as accommodation. Oh and did I mention the drive to Jervis Bay is awesome!

Just one of the many campervans you will spy around Jervis Bay!

Stay in a Caravan Park

If you decided to hire a campervan but feel the need to take daily showers then book a site at one of the many caravan parks. If you don’t fancy sleeping in a camper van then hire out one of the many different cabin options or a camp site. One of the things I love about staying in caravan parks is the sense of community. Many people who stay there are regulars and can tell you secrets about the area that you otherwise might not have discovered. Also most caravan parks have swimming pools and really, who doesn’t like swimming pools!

The pool and the BBQ area, always the center of the caravan park community!

Head to the National Park and Chat to the Rangers

If you’re a wilderness lover then you’ll love Booderee National Park. This National Park has an extremely diverse landscape for the small area which makes for very interesting bush walking. While your there chat with one of the many park Ranger’s, you will discover some interesting stories about Jervis Bay’s aboriginal and colonial history as well as some very interesting information about some of the more interesting animals that call the park home. And while you chatting make sure to ask about the haunting story and the dreaded fate of the people who lived in the lighthouse below, what caused it to be decommissioned and dismantled…?

Find out the haunting story behind why this lighthouse was decommissioned...

Have ‘Fish & Chips’ for Dinner!

Fish and Chips is classic Aussie beach food, Aussies can’t get enough of it an neither should you! Go to one of the many local takeaway’s in Huskisson town and get your self some fish and chips, sit up on the hill in the park next to the pub over looking the bay and enjoy your greasy feast while admiring the view! (I don’t recommend doing this everynight, you’ll make yourself sick!)

Beaches (need I say more)

Jervis Bay has some of the most stunning, untouched, pristine beaches in Australia and let me tell you I’ve seen a lot of Aussie beaches in my time! I could rave on about the best beaches, the beach with the whitest sands in the world but I won’t, I’ll let you read all about that in the magazine!

Now if all that doesn’t make you want to go to Jervis Bay I don’t know what will!

Where is it?

Jervis Bay is located 2.5 hours south of Sydney in the Illawarra region of NSW, Australia. If you’re in Sydney it’s well worth the few hours drive, the country is spectacular, there are some great stops on the way including Fitzroy falls and a bakery boasting the best pies in Australia (though I haven’t tried them all so don’t quote me on that!).

Laughing My Way Around Europe

Sasha — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:08:25 +0000

A few years ago when I went to Europe I stumbled across a surprising discovery, Europe can be funny! I expected my two months travelling around Europe to be a civilized affair confined to visiting museums, churches and going gaga over the stunning centuries old architecture. Throw in a few nice Spanish and Greek island beaches and you’ve got the picture perfect, guide book European experience. The last thing I expected to do was laugh my way around Europe. And yet I did! Apparently funny signs, bizarre product names and outrages shop names are not just confined to China, they do indeed also exist in Europe!

Signs that will crack you up…

Italy: In Verona, Italy everything fun is banned! No bathing in fountains, no camping, no eating near monuments and no walking around bare chested. Yeah way to kill the fun VERONA!

Slovenia: In Ljubljana it seems the locals walk around with monkeys on their backs, either way they certainly aren’t carrying their children in their arms!

Italy: In Venice feed the pidgins at your own peril, these birds get real CRAZY!

Spain: Only the brave with a death wish would dare throw their cigarette butt on the beach in Barcelona. The moment you do, big, strong, hulk, hunky, terrifying El Salvador will hunt you down!

Products that will make you think twice…

France: In Nice all the lemonade is Pschitt, cool, refreshing, Pschitt. Actually I could drink a whole bottle of Pschitt right now!

Bosnia-Herzegovina: In Bosnia when it comes to candy you have two purchase choices, the politically correct and the not so politically correct one!
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Random smirk inspiring laughs…

Croatia: Is this freaky Mannequin in the Elafiti Islands meant to be a scarecrow scaring away tourists? If it is it’s surely doing a damn good job!

Slovenia: Stepping into this shop in Ljubljana just might be the last shop you ever step into!

France: Fine, call me immature but you can’t say you’re not seeing what I’m seeing! Who would call a bag shop ‘Willy’ now that’s just false advertising!

Do you have any funny photos from Europe? Send them in for the next funny Europe feature!

Fulfilling My Grand Italian Dream

Sasha — Sun, 01 May 2011 03:47:53 +0000

When I was 19 I set off on my first overseas adventure, an adventure to fulfill my childhood dream of visiting Europe. Ever since I was young I had been fascinated by Europe, most likely thanks to all the souvenirs my Dad brought back from his many work trips to France, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, the list goes on. My windowsill was lined with my miniature dreams, my dreams of visiting the Eiffel Tower, my dreams of visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, my dream to ride on a Double Decker bus in London, my dream to travel. But there was one country that always appeared in my childhood travel dreams, a country that I longed to visit the most, that country was Italy!

When I was 9 years old I decided that I wanted to learn Italian, I was convinced that If I learnt all the words to ‘Volare’ and read along with the English translation then I would eventually be able to fluently speak Italian or such the simplicity of a 9 year olds childhood mind would believe. Unfortunately though I did manage to learn all the words and to this day sill remember them, the only Italian I really picked up from the song was “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” (Blue painted in the blue) yeah like that was going to help me!

My dream to visit Italy became and intense fascination into the country, every school project I could do on a country or It’s cuisines I picked Italy. In grade 6 I did my major geography project on Italy, in my grade 9 home economics class I cooked a 3 course Italian feast for my food presentation. But the fascination didn’t stop at school projects, any movie with an Italian theme I wanted to watch, over and over again. I don’t know how many times I watched the ‘Lizzie McGuire’ movie wishing I was a pop super star in Rome with a hot Italian boyfriend. And I just couldn’t get enough of Mary Kate and Ashley’s ‘When in Rome.’

When I was in High School my Dad went on a trip to Italy and visited Florence, Naples and Pompeii. I couldn’t get enough of all his stories, eating way too much food with an Italian family, sleeping on a bed with a giant crucifix on the wall above his head, visiting Pompeii, I was envious! I wanted to go to Italy. And with that after working two jobs for a year and a half I saved up enough money to finally go to Europe, to finally fulfill my grand Italian dream.

Below are some of the highlights from my trip to Italy in 2008 and all the dreams I fulfilled:

Standing in the Mighty Colloseum…

One of the first things that entered my find when I thought of Italy was the Colloseum, after all it was legendary! The moment I caught that first glimpse of the Colloseum was a breathtaking, “wake me up I’m dreaming” moment. After all the years of seeing pictures of the Colloseum in books, finally I was there standing on the ancient ground upon which the mighty Gladiators fought to their deaths. But this wasn’t what really had me excited! Blame the architecture enthusiast in me, it was the revolutionary way the Colloseum was built and designed that really had me excited. I was finally seeing it for real, I could study it’s design and construction from outside the pages of a book! I had read all about the architecture of the Colloseum, what I was excited to see was the vaulted arches built using concrete, one of the earliest examples of this revolutionary building method that would change the way buildings were constructed from then after. The people I was with thought I was pretty weird, staring up in awe at the arches and pointing out that they were constructed with the earliest use of concrete in history, they were all excited just to be where gladiators had been they couldn’t understand how I could be so excited by some ancient concrete!

Treading where Caesar once trod in the Roman Imperial Forum…

The Roman Imperial Forum was once the centre of Roman life, it was here where government buildings stood, here where elections were held, where some of the greatest speeches were presented. Legendary Roman figures Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Constantine the Great and Octavius (Augustus) all at one point in history had trodden these grounds. It was here where one of the biggest Roman drama that went on to inspire a Shakespeare play played out, Marc Antony’s oration at Julius Caesar’s funeral that caused an uprising of the locals against Caesar’s assassins eventually driving the murderers out of Rome. How could I not be excited to stand in such a historic place where so many historic tales I had studied had taken place. Standing in that forum surrounded by the mighty ruins of Rome’s great past I let my mind drift and imagine what life would have been like, the city center bustling at the height of the Roman empire.

Making a wish at the Trevi Fountain…

The Trevi Fountain for me really was one of the most stunning sights in Rome, the turquoise water cascading down the waterfall, the beautiful statues on the top seemingly reaching up for the heavens. The atmosphere was electric, everyone in the crowd was excited to be there, everyone sitting down eating gelati was smiling with satisfaction and everyone who like me was throwing coins into the fountain making a wish all had that look on their face that said “even if that wish doesn’t come true, hell I can’t complain I’m at the Trevi Fountain!” Throwing that first coin over my shoulder and into the fountain was an exciting moment, in fact I was so excited I don’t even remember what I wished for! I do however remember the second wish, to return to Rome. It is tradition that If you throw in a second coin into the fountain that you will one day again return to Rome, it hasn’t happened yet but soon enough it will!

Hanging out in proximity of the Pope…ok maybe being in a Da Vinci code setting!…

Anyone in the western world has grown up hearing about the Pope, even if they’re not Catholic. But for me quite honestly (no disrespect intended) I couldn’t really care less about the old guy that led the Catholic Church. What I cared about was the history of Vatican City, the architecture, the art, MICHELANGELO! But what I was interested in the most was seeing the settings in which Robert Langdon’s adventures played out in Dan Brown’s best selling novel the Da Vinci Code. Walking around St Peter’s Basilica and other parts of Vatican City in my mind I was watching Professor Robert Langdon investigate a murder and track down the truth behind the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. To me, Vatican City felt more like the setting of a novel then a spiritual place of worship. It was too huge, too flashy and had far too much gold for me to feel any sense of spirituality. It felt more like a place to show off the ‘physical riches’ of Catholicism rather than a place for the quiet contemplation of mortality and god.

Cruising along the Venice canals with a lover…

Ever since I watched an episode of the soap opera ‘Bold and the Beautiful’ when the Forrester’s went to Venice I knew I had to go. Of course what I learned from that episode was choose wisely who you want to take to Venice. It’s probably not such a great idea to go with your ex-husband, new lover, the guy you’re really in love with and other members of the family who hate you. After dreaming about the romance of Venice for years after watching that episode I ended up cruising down the romantic canals of Venice with…a bunch of friends. So while I didn’t fulfill my entire dream, I didn’t really care, either way Venice’s canals were pure magic even if I was enjoying what should have been a romantic moment with 5 other people!

Visiting the site of the most famous volcanic eruption in history…

When I was in grade 3 I read a picture book about the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79AD that buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, I was fascinated. When I was in High School my Dad went on a work trip to Italy and fulfilled ‘My Dream’ of visiting Pompeii, I was intensely jealous! He rubbed it in even more by showing me all the fascinating photo’s and telling me the historic stories and all that he had learned from his tour guide. When I finally got to visit Pompeii I was so excited to have the opportunity to visit all the places I had read about, to see the ancient fast food restaurant, to see the beautifully decorated tiles that had remained preserved under a layer of ash for nearly two thousand years! Unfortunately for me my tour group was whisked through so fast all I really got to admire was the picture catalog in the ancient brothel. I couldn’t help but be disappointed, I saw hardly any of what I wanted to see and although I fulfilled the dream of standing on that ground, when I left I felt like I was leaving with my dream only half fulfilled. Looking back, although it was disappointing, the positive thing to come out of it is now I have an excuse to go back again!

Seeing Michelangelo’s Statue of David in Florence…

When I was in High School I was that art nerd that spent many lunch hours slaving away over her painting in the art room. Ever since I was a little kid I’d loved art, I was always drawing, gluing things, finding creative uses for cereal boxes. So it was unsurprising that all through school I chose to do art classes. I loved creating art but I also loved studying art. When I studied the human form and proportion we spent a lot of time studying the works of Michelangelo but particularly his most famous work the ‘Statue of David’. When I was in Florence, visiting the museum and seeing the statue for real was the one thing I ‘had to’ do. And see it I did, stare at his hands I did, it was true what I had learned in art class, his hands did look un-proportionately large! I wish I had had the guts to take a sneaky photo of the real statue but being to worried about getting in trouble from security I had to settle for a photo of a smaller replica statue in one of Florence’s many piazza’s.

Holding up the leaning tower of Pisa.

In primary school I did a research project on Italy where I learned all about the Leaning Tower of Pisa and it’s legendary lean. But as a child with no clue of the laws of physics I thought it was just a pretty cool building standing on a very bizarre angle. Seeing it for real was the moment I thought “Wow, it’s really actually learning! How on earth is it still standing.” Although much of its dramatic lean had been corrected by the time I visited it still was very clearly leaning. I couldn’t resist, I had to take that classic tacky pose that every tourist takes at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the pose where it looks like you’re either holding up the tower or pushing it over! That photo will forever represent my first trip to Europe at 19!

After all the years dreaming of Italy finally visiting was a dream come true. Finally I was able to fulfill that childhood dream! But somehow ticking off all the places I wanted to see didn’t leave me completely fulfilled, instead I was left yearning for more. Yearning to discover more of Italy then just what I leaned at school, to discover more than what my Dad had experienced, to discover more than just history but to actually live it’s culture. I fulfilled my dream to visit, but Italy will forever be a dream that I continue to have, that continues to expand, that I constantly strive to fulfill. Italy is a country that I will forever want to return to!

What was your ‘dream’ travel destination, the destination you always dreamed about as a kid? How did you feel when you finally got to fulfill the dream of visiting? Leave your comments below.

An East African Christmas

Sasha — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 05:29:42 +0000

By Oneika Raymond

Anybody who knows me well knows that I love to travel, and rarely pass up an opportunity to go somewhere new. So when a friend asked me if I’d like to accompany her on a two-week safari trip through the East African nations of Kenya and Tanzania, culminating in a beach stay on the island paradise of Zanzibar, I didn’t hesitate. She asked me if I wanted to go on a Thursday, and by Saturday the plane tickets were booked! We purchased tickets to go at the end of December, it looked like we would be having an East African Christmas and new years! Not bad at all!

East Africa wasn’t really an obvious choice for me, as I am currently working in Hong Kong and could have used my time off to travel somewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. But after perusing the itinerary for Absolute Africa, the tour company we had booked with, I immediately knew that I had made the right choice.

Absolute Africa is a tour operator based in London that specializes in creating packages for travel all over the African continent. The tour that we chose, dubbed the “Maasai & Migration” tour, sounded exciting enough: starting in Nairobi, Kenya, we would go overland all the way down to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, camping for seven nights along the way just outside the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. We would eventually take a ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar where we would spend another four nights getting some much needed rest and relaxation. The tour was was well priced, and by all accounts, well run. All that was left was to board the plane!

Our 14-hour flight to Nairobi passed without incident (except for a faulty entertainment system which meant that I spent the duration of the flight movie and music-less!), and we soon found ourselves in a different world. My friend and I had arrived two days before the start of the tour and set off to discover the sights and sounds of Nairobi, which we found to be a bustling, cosmopolitan city.

Soon, however, it was time to set off on our safari adventure! We met our awesome tour guide, Amos, and the rest of our tour group (which consisted of six other people) and boarded the massive truck that would take us where we needed to go. What transpired from that point on was a series of highlights. One of our first stops was to a Maasai village, where we learned about the Maasai tribes of Kenya and Tanzania and their way of life. We got to sit inside their little mud huts and also visit a school (while class was in session!) for Maasai children on the reserve. The people we encountered in the village were ridiculously nice and welcoming, and very interested in sharing their history and culture with our tour group.

We crossed over the Kenyan border into Tanzania and based ourselves in Arusha, one of the larger cities in Tanzania which is located just a stone’s throw from Mount Kilimanjaro. Driving around the city of Arusha, we were able to see the snow-capped of the huge mountain, affectionately known as “Kili”. From our base, we drove out to the Serengeti National Park, which I can only describe as breath-taking. I mean, really! The Serengeti! The sweeping plains and wildlife were enchanting and hypnotic. To visit this wonder, we abandoned our large truck in favour of a smaller 4×4, sturdily made in order to navigate the rough terrain. We encountered many other tour groups there during our two days of game drives, all of us in hot pursuit of spotting what is known as the “Big Five”: the lion, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the buffalo, and the leopard. We had been warned by our guide that we may not see all of them, but, blessed with good luck, we saw them all, in addition to hoardes of wildebeest, zebras, and even pink flamingos!

After the incredible experience of the Serengeti, we were again blown away by our descent into the Ngorongoro crater, where we saw many of the animals mentioned above. We also encountered a family of hippopotamuses (hippopotami?) that bathed themselves lazily in the shallow bodies of water located in various parts of the site. Very cool. On Christmas day, we went back to our camp after a game drive in the Crater and feasted on a variety of dishes, including chicken, wildebeest, and zebra kebabs! I stopped short of being adventurous in that respect, however. I played it safe and had the chicken!

This safari trip was great as it opened me up to a variety of new experiences, one of which was camping! We camped for seven nights, and it definitely is not for the faint-hearted! We had to set up and take down our own tents, often in inclement weather as the region bizarrely got a lot of rain during our stay. Despite the rain and inconvenience of setting up our tents, camping outside of the Serengeti and on the cusp of the Ngorongoro Crater was a mind-blowing and unforgettable experience that I would not trade. As for our camping conditions, we were advised to not leaving the tents after dark, as wildlife is known to roam freely around the campsites at night! Bundled up in our flimsy tents at night, we heard lions roar, which was more than a little intimidating! On one particular evening, my friend and I tried to leave our tents to go use the bathroom, but stopped dead in our tracks when we encountered a group of wild boars eating out of trash cans not even 50 metres away from us! Talk about an authentic experience!

Capping off our trip was a four-night stay on the idyllic island of Zanzibar, otherwise known as heaven on earth. The white sand beaches were flawless and the water a dazzling shade of turquoise. After having roughed it for a week in tents, we relaxed in simple beach huts and lay around in loungers on the beach. We visited the historic centre of Stonetown, the main city of Zanzibar, and visited a spice farm where we marvelled at the lush and abundant greenery. We feted the new year on the beach, cooling ourselves off with frequent dips in the Indian Ocean. Not a bad way to end the perfect trip!

My trip to this part of East Africa was both eye-opening and rewarding. I tested my personal limits by camping, saw amazingly beautiful things with my very own eyes, and met a variety of people, both locals and tourists, who intrigued and inspired me. If travelling to Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar isn’t already on your travel bucket list, it definitely should be! I highly recommend it and can’t wait to go back!

Oneika Raymond is a high school teacher and travel junkie who has travelled to nearly forty countries. Originally from Canada, she is currently teaching French and English at a high school in Hong Kong and has previously taught in France and Mexico. She writes about teaching, her travels, and her life as an expat on her blog “Oneika the Traveller”. Conect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you want to contribute a story to On UR Way Travel? I’m looking to post a guest post a few times a month for a new “Follow Friday Feature”. Read about how you can write for on UR Way Travel then get in contact!

My Bangkok Stopover Nightmare!…Part 2

Sasha — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:21:14 +0000

When I last left you hanging in ‘My Bangkok Stopover Nightmare Part 1′ I was staring in horror and disbelief at the China Eastern Rep and Bangkok airport. A summary of the events that led up to this point is as follows: I arrived in Bangkok but my bags didn’t, now that wouldn’t have been so bad if they hadn’t checked in my international luggage in Melbourne with my Visa card in it. That bag was now still in Australia while I was in Bangkok. So there I was in Bangkok, no bags, very little cash, no visa card and a ticket change fee to pay that I probably didn’t have enough money to cover. But it turned out I didn’t have to pay that change fee, though what I discovered was much worse, I had missed my flight!

I had no choice, the only thing I could do was rebook my flight and hope I wouldn’t get hit with a huge charge. Unfortunately I had problems with my international sim and had to battle with a temperamental pay phone to make the dreaded call. But who uses pay phones these day’s? I sure didn’t! The last time I had used one was two years before at a bus station when my phone died. I had desperately needed to call my dad to get him to pick me up but I couldn’t get the damn thing to work, that was when a guy walked up to me and handed me 50c, “20c won’t do it” he said. Apparently I hadn’t got any better at figuring out pay phones since; and after reading and following the instructions on the payphone at Bangkok Airport a million times, the phone just didn’t seem to want to let me discover my fate!

Eventually I got through to the China Eastern reservations hotline and explained my situation. I heard at sigh at the end of the phone line “Sorry, all the flights to Shanghai today are fully booked and the same flight tomorrow night is also fully booked” I didn’t think my blood pressure could rise anymore or my panic increase but at that moment it did! I couldn’t afford to stay in Bangkok…before the thought could really sink in she said “but there is availability on a Shanghai Airlines flight at midday tomorrow.” “YES, I’ll take that!” I quickly jumped in. Ok, so it wasn’t ideal I’d have to stay another night in Bangkok but what was the worst that could happen, surely I couldn’t be struck with any more bad luck and if sleeping in the airport was to be my fate, well at this stage that didn’t feel so bad! And with the re-booking of my flight my luck was about to change.

The next minute the most comforting words I had heard all day came from the other end of the phoneline “You don’t have to pay” MUSIC TO MY EARS! Miraculously as I had booked my Shanghai-Bangkok flights so close to spring festival, only the higher more flexible fares were available. As a result even though I had missed my flight I was credited the cost of the ticket and so didn’t have to pay a cent on my new flights! YES no change fee, no rebooking fee, now all I needed to do was find the cheapest and most conveniently located hostel in Bangkok to spend the night and figure out the cheapest way to entertain myself over the next day.

I spent 100 precious baht to use the internet for 30 minutes, it seemed like the shortest and most expensive 30 minutes of my life! In that time I had to research and book my hostel, send an email to my Mum so she wouldn’t panic when she didn’t hear from me and research what to do in Bangkok. So with that I booked a night at the Penpark Place in Pat Pong close to the sky train, got on the airport train and headed into the city with no plan whats so ever. But to be honest by this stage I didn’t care what I did as long as I wasn’t in an airport!

On the train I looked through the various brochures I’d picked up from the airport tourist information. This was my third time in Bangkok, I’d already done the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew, two years before and Wat Arun just two weeks previous so that was the major touristy stuff already ticked off my Bangkok Bucket List, what would I do this time? Then a listing caught my eye, ZOO! The zoo had always brought a smile to my face as a child, maybe today it would be a perfect remedy for the last 24hrs trauma, maybe the zoo could cheer me up!

I was on a mission, a mission to go to Dusit Zoo and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure the rest of the day went right. Having no clue how to get there I made sure I got very detailed information from the information desk at Phaya Thai Station. With a map in hand, and a list of bus numbers I was going to turn this days experience on it’s head!

I followed the instructions I had been given to the very last detail, take the sky train to Victory Monument, head in the direction of the hospital and jump on the 28 bus. Mission success, I managed to find the number 28 bus right where I was told it would be, the next challenge, figure out when to get off! Luckily the bus driver knew where I was going and told me when to get off. Phew, another drama avoided!

For just 100 baht I spent the afternoon strolling around the tropical gardens of Dusit Zoo, the same gardens that had once been a private royal garden. Birds were singing, excited school children were chatting as a soft cool breeze whispered through the trees. Finally I was feeling relaxed, finally I felt at ease, finally I was happy.

Enclosure after enclosure I would stop, smile and take a photo of yet another cute animal. I gazed at the tigers laying lazily under the trees, at the hippos having a siesta in the algae green water, at deers frolicking around their enclosure while one very adorable sun bear captured my heart. This small, black, Malaysian Sun Bear waddled around the enclosure stopping seemingly just to pose for my pictures and to say hi. “Awwww he’s just so cute,” I couldn’t help but gush under my breath. I appreciated him posing for me, this adorable sun bear made my day!

The afternoon had been more then fantastic, but after the morning I had anything would have been better! I spent the evening strolling around Pat Pong, eating my last delicious Bangkok meal before getting a stress free nights rest. The next day everything went according to plan, I didn’t miss my flight, it arrived in Shanghai on time and I finally got home, though still without my bags! Unfortunately my bags were still in Australia. They arrived in Shanghai two days after me and boy was I relieved depite the trauma of spending 5 hours getting to Pudong Airport, trying to actually find where they had my bags and then getting back home!

Normally I dread unpacking my bags, it signifies the sad end of a trip, but this time I relished in it!!!

To say thanks for sticking with me and reading right through to the end of my dreadful Bangkok Stopover Nightmare, I have a treat for you!!! Below are the photos from Dusit Zoo and the adorable animals that brought a smile to my face and made my nightmare somewhat less of a nightmare. I hope they bring a smile to your face too!!!

My Bangkok Stopover Nightmare!…Part 1

Sasha — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 03:54:27 +0000

It began as just another uneventful and boring plane journey arriving on time to Bangkok, clearing customs in a jiffy and just like every other trip standing around the baggage carousel in anticipation of getting my bags and getting out of the airport as quick as possible! So there I was, another day, another airport standing wearily against my trolley hoping that my bags would be the first off so I could leave and get a proper sleep, laid down flat not bent awkwardly in an uncomfortable plane chair! I stood there for what seemed like an eternity as one by one bags disappeared off the carousel and my fellow passengers went on their merry way to a comfortable bed… I was alone, just me standing by the carousel watching the same six bags go by, not one of them was mine.

Realising that it didn’t matter how much I stared at the bags and walked around the carousel the luggage wasn’t miraculously going to morph into mine. My heart started to beat rapidly, my mind started racing as panic set in. WHERE WERE MY BAGS!!! I anxiously walked over to the Bangkok Air Services Desk and told them that my bags were no where to be seen, “Are you sure they’re not there” the attendant asked. What a stupid question! Of course they weren’t there, I knew what my bags looked like, plus they were pretty distinct, a bright red backpack and a black suitcase with yellow pinstripes, hard to miss!

A few minutes later I got the dreaded bad news, while I had arrived in Bangkok my bags had decided to stay in Melbourne. Some how connecting from the Canberra to Melbourne domestic flight they just never ended up on my international flight! FANTASTIC! GRRRRR! All I could do was fill in the paper work and hope my bags came in the next day. With that over with I headed off to the airport hostel for hopefully a good nights rest!

But alas a good nights rest was not in the stars for me that night, kept awake by the worry of my lost bags and the loud sounds of the planes taking off and landing, by the morning I felt worse than I had the night before. To add insult to an already un-ideal situation I had the sudden realisation just how much sh*t I was in. One of my bags I had intended to be my international carry on but the twat at Canberra airport instead of just checking it through to Melbourne checked it all the way through to Bangkok. Now that wouldn’t have been a problem If i hadn’t split my money like I always do between all three bags in the event that one was stolen, problem was I only had one of 3 bags and my Visa card was safely locked in the one still in Melbourne. OH CRAP! Here I was planning to spend a day at Ko Larn island about 3 hours from Bangkok, I was so desperate to go to the beach but alas I only had 1000 Baht on me and 200RMB for when I arrived back in Shanghai, on top of that I still had to pay the change fee for the flight I had changed a couple of weeks back. Oh dear, it looked like I wouldn’t be making it to the beach after all.

I went back to the airport in hopes there would be some news on my bags, there was, and it wasn’t good. My bags wouldn’t be arriving in Bangkok for a few days and by then I would already be in Shanghai. Obviously there was no hope of rescuing my Visa card and extra money. The only thing I could do was go pay the cancellation fee and hope I had enough left to at least spend the day not in the airport until my flight back to Shanghai that night.

"Airport of Smiles" I certainly wasn't smiling!!!

After walking around the check-in area forever trying to find the China Eastern rep who unhelpfully wasn’t at their help desk I finally found someone to pay the change fee. Wondering what the damage was, the next thing she said was the last thing I expected or wanted to hear “Sorry Mam, you missed your flight.” WHAT THE! SH*T!!! (This time I said it out loud) how did I miss my flight, it was tonight, how could I miss a flight before it had left!? “It left last night” she said, but how I was sure it was that night, that was the whole plan, to have a days stopover. I stared at her in disbelief, clearly I looked shocked so she turned around the screen to show me. Oh sh*t she was right, it had gone the night before. Dammit in the confusion of re-booking my flight over the phone, when I said I wanted to leave on the night of the 16th at 2am It ended up being re-booked as departing at 2am on the 16th the night of the 15th. STUPID! I didn’t specify that 2am would actually be on the 17th, how could I have been so careless, why didn’t I double check, triple check. I had no excuse for making such a stupid mistake, I was trained as a travel agent, I had booked connections countless times and never managed to screw up but for myself apparently I just couldn’t get it right! So there I was standing there with hardly any money, a flight to rebook and no clue what could go wrong next!

I could tell the China Eastern girl felt sorry for me, she looked at me in the way you pity an abandoned puppy. She informed me that to rebook I’d have to call the reservations hot line on a payphone, she didn’t know how much I would be charged or if I’d lost all the money on the ticket, could I even afford to leave Bangkok!? All I knew was this stopover was turning into my worst nightmare and all I wanted to do was be back in Shanghai in my own bed and venting my frustrations to my best friends.

…to be continued…

…Ok it’s cruel to leave you hanging! Read the conclusion here in Part 2!

China Scams Part 3: The Poser

Sasha — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:30:22 +0000

This is the third in the series of posts dedicated to the Art of Chinese Scams. This series will continue as long as I continue to get scammed. Learn from my mistakes and avoid getting sucked into the China scam trap.

“You want take photo?…”

We were sitting in a restaurant about to enjoy a nice leisurely meal when we were interrupted by a pair of musicians. Gesturing to us as if asking did we want them to play we shook our heads and did our best to discourage them. This had scam written all over it. They had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, quickly whipped around all the tables and as if premeditated decided that the foreigner’s table would be the best target. It was all too strange, they hadn’t been in the restaurant when we entered, did they follow us in?

Despite all our discouragement they planted themselves down next to our table and started playing. We did our best to ignore them but then the waiters started surrounding our table really getting into the music, encouraging us to do the same. The other customer’s just looked on with that subtle grin that says “I know what’s going on but I’m going to choose to ignore the fact that it’s happening.” I couldn’t believe what was happening and though the situation seemed all wrong I really did want a photo to document that strange moment in time, call that the photo taking fanatic blogger in me!

My friend and I discussed my longing to take a photo under our breaths and decided to ask how much? They knew that had us then! They chose to ignore our question time after time so I thought what the hell, how often is this gonna happen, just take the damn picture. I did and then we got the bill! It was clearly a calculated scam, follow the foreigners off the street into the restaurant, play them some music then charge them for the photo they’re inevitably going to take. It was pretty clear that the staff in the restaurant knew all about it, were they in on it, where they getting a commission, did they work for the restaurant? Maybe.

It really annoyed me that they weren’t upfront about the price of the photo even though it was only 10RMB, the dishonesty really ticked me off, but hell at least I got a picture out of it!

The friendly face of Chinese scams

What to watch out for…

Anyone in costume is pretty obviously looking for someone to take a photo of them. Be very wary not all of them will come up to you saying “photo, photo, 10RMB”, so be careful, that sneaky ‘Free’ pic you try to take could cost you money.

Anyone’s property is something that can be charged for, bikes, homes, hell even flowers! While riding around Yangshuo one of my riding companions stopped to take a picture of a flower outside someone’s home. No sooner had the picture been taken and an old lady swiftly came out and demanded 10RMB. But the old lady had the disadvantage, she wasn’t on a bike, so that was 10RMB she didn’t make!

That kid performing on the street or begging is asking for money, so if you do take a picture expect that you are going to have to pay for it.

Top Tip: Always ask upfront if there is a price to take a photo and don’t stop asking until you get an answer! Once you have the answer then you can decide whether it’s worth taking that snap or not.

Poser’s aren’t the only scammer’s in China, check out the previous post: The Art Student. Stay updated with the Art of Chinese Scams series by subscribing to the RSS feed.